Back from Paris with a vengeance
by inchacha
Summary: Another way for Steffy to ditch the triangle and make her own destiny, both personal and professional. She decides to leave the drama from the beginning and takes someone else with her. Can be an alternative to "No". I don't own the series nor the characters.
1. Chapter 1

Back from Paris with a vengeance

It was a bright new day in Los Angeles and it was particularly busy for everyone at Forrester Creations. Hope for the Future was about to hit a huge success thanks to their secret acquisition and everything had to be ready before the big day in two days.

Hope Logan, the owner's line and namesake looked on in satisfaction. She couldn't be happier and satisfied with her life. She had a job that she loved, a great friend who had the potential to be more and most of all, a wonderful fiancé.

If she had to be honest with herself, she wouldn't be here if Steffy hadn't left town to visit her father in Paris to never return. Well, she'd still be here, just not this soon. She still worried the other woman had something in her mind to disappear like that without telling anyone where she was. After all, for a long time, Liam had been adamant about finding her, claiming that something must have happened to her.

Hope herself had tried everything to get his mind off the brunette without any success. Although she had succeeded at the beginning as soon as Steffy left town. It had worked for a while until Liam realized that Steffy hadn't called him once days after she had left and he couldn't get her on her phone either. He had gone as far as going to Paris but Taylor's family wouldn't tell him anything about her whereabouts.

But all that was over now: Steffy had been gone for months now and Hope would soon be Mrs. Liam Spencer. All she had needed to get him to make his mind up was his newfound brother showing his intentions towards her and Liam was wrapped around her little finger once again. Steffy could be back the next day and she wouldn't be able to do anything to prevent this wedding from taking place, not this time. She and her mother would make sure of it!

* * *

Unbeknown to Forrester Creations, another fashion show was being prepared at the same time, in another part of the city. The only difference was that this one would mark the start of a new company in the world of fashion. Unlike Forrester Creations though, this one was ready for the show. All that was left to do was rechecking everything one last time.

The two owners themselves weren't left unoccupied: they too gave as much as their employees and were finalizing the preparations. The brother and sister were proud of their accomplishment. They couldn't believe they had managed to prepare everything in the dark and no one had been able to notice their activity.

Even the press was oblivious to what was going on. The siblings weren't new to this of course and they knew how the press worked. That's why they had invited them. All they knew was that there was a new player in town that apparently took on the challenge of competing with Forrester Creations.

Of course the press was skeptical about this. After all, Forrester Creations had decades of experience and the most talented designer in the world. They doubted anyone could rival that but they were ready to see what this new fashion company had to offer and Forrester's reaction to them.

Seeing as the invitations had been short noticed they had been unable to get any information about them. Even Forrester Creations had been surprised at the news of a new player. The press had played their card right (without knowing that's how the new player had wanted it all along) but Forrester Creations was far from worried, probably because they thought their new campaign would be infallible. They thought that no one could beat them but they would see soon enough.

* * *

The big day finally came for the siblings. They looked on from the backstage as the show room filled with reporters, photographs and potential buyers. They looked at each other and gave nods to signify they were ready before each went to their assigned task.

The murmurs and speculations in the room stopped when none other than Thomas Forrester appeared on the stage. He took a few seconds to assess the room before talking.

"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you all for being here with us today. I'm sure you're all wondering what's going on so, I won't keep the suspense going for much longer. We invited you here today to witness a revolution in the world of fashion! In a few minutes, you will see a fashion show like you've never seen before: it's new, it's glamorous and it was thought of by TPS Creations!" Murmurs started anew as the guests wondered at the name. "Our designs were created for everyone: you are young, of a certain age or little and you want to look glamorous, then you came to the right place. Ladies and gentlemen, watch and buy!"

As announced, the show began and it was something none of the guests had expected: it started with children! And they were of different ages but they still looked fabulous in the designs. Flashes were lighting the room as photographs took picture after picture, not wanting to miss anything. Then came the time for young men and women to parade on stage: they wore other designs, some of the same style as the children, others not.

All along, Thomas was commenting on the designs and how they were available to anyone for all kind of height and condition. His declaration took all the more effect when his sister, who looked about ready to give birth, took her turn on stage with a beautiful gown. The flashes intensified even more and she gave her brother a brief look of triumph at their success.

It continued along before the show closed with the designs specific to older people. After that, everyone made a final appearance on the stage before reuniting in celebration behind the scene.

Thomas once again appeared on stage to answer to the press' questions and he knew there were a lot of them coming. As they had expected, the first one was about his and his sister's stance with Forrester Creations. He explained how they still had their shares of the company but felt they weren't appreciated for their full potential and their ideas were dismissed. Instead of staying there and taking it all, they thought they would get their ideas and concretize them in the shape of their own fashion company. They named it after their names and that of their late sister.

He told them how it would be possible to buy their designs from their shop but also order from their website. If you went there, you would be able to see a virtual show of their designs with the client as the model; all you'd have to do was enter your measurements and then you'd see how you would look in each design before making your final choice.

Thomas had the press eating at his hand with his explanations. When they got to the part about his sister's condition, he told them that the details were private and hers alone to reveal. In the end, Steffy's participation on the show was intended to show to the world that a woman could be pregnant and still beautiful and glamorous; she didn't have to stay at home and rest or be the perfect wife and mother for her future child. On the contrary, he explained how his sister had never been as inventive and full of ideas as she was at the moment with her pregnancy. And she hadn't been the only pregnant woman to parade on stage during the show.

Another of their revolutionary ideas had been to make their own employees to parade and represent their designs. They all worked as a family so they didn't want to hire models or any outsiders to have the advantage of wearing the products of their hard work. They all knew and trusted each other so that's how they decided to do it.

Finally, they had decided to have the show early in the day because they didn't want the children to go to bed too late. They certainly were excited and would still be later so they thought it was enough work for their parents in attempting to get them to bed. They didn't want to add any more work than that.

Thomas had to put an end to the conference when the children came to him to start the party they had planned. He told the press that he would be available the next day as he had a few dance partners that were waiting for him but they were welcome to the party as long as they didn't harass anyone with questions. So it was that Thomas was led away by the children who were anxious to start the fun before bedtime came for them.

* * *

TPS Creations' fashion show didn't go unnoticed at Forrester. It had been a shock for everyone to discover earlier that day Steffy's and Thomas' resignation letters but this was the final blow.

Their grandfather had stood before the TV witnessing his grandchildren's success at the ideas he had so adamantly refused to give them the chance to try. And now, those same ideas were put to use somewhere else and there was nothing he could do about it.

He had called their company for a chance to talk to one of them but was told they were busy and couldn't take any calls before the next day. Add to that, they had apparently changed their cell phone numbers for the previous ones weren't working.

When all that failed, he had finally given up and called their father. He had been surprised and angry to find out that Ridge had known about his children's plans all along and hadn't tried to stop them. He had even gone as far as encouraging them.

"It's what they wanted dad and I couldn't have stopped them, even if I wanted to."

"You could at least have warned me about this! Do you know how I felt when I saw this and couldn't even tell anything because I was as surprised as anyone else?!"

Ridge sighed over the phone. "I know, dad but they swore me to secrecy and I couldn't deny it to them. It was the least I could do for my children. They felt left down when I left and then were stripped of their rights at the company. You were the one that didn't want to accept their ideas at Forrester. They simply made use of their talent somewhere else."

"I can't believe this. How could they do this to me, my own grandchildren?!"

"Dad, don't be mad at them. They did what they thought was best for themselves and you should be happy for them. That's what we taught them to do."

"Right. I'll talk to you later!" Eric slammed the receiver on his desk in frustration and anger. He'd have a talk with them, one way or another. Luckily for him, Hope's and Wyatt's wonderful idea for HFTF would be more than enough to beat them.

* * *

Hope Logan was thinking along the same line as Eric. At first, she had been happy to learn that Steffy and Thomas had left the company. She didn't mind Thomas, he was a good guy but Steffy, she had danced in joy at learning that she was finally free of her.

But then she had seen the show on TV and Steffy's condition and had begun to worry. Hope was sure Steffy was up to no good with that pregnancy (was even a true one?). She didn't know who the father was but she just knew that Steffy would use it to her advantage and she couldn't have that. Her wedding was just a few days away and now she had this. She couldn't afford to lose to Steffy again, not this time.

Hope looked around her office before getting an idea. Liam, she had to talk to Liam before Steffy got to him first and put any funny ideas about her supposed pregnancy. That thought made her start in fear and Hope almost sprinted out the door, barely missing Wyatt who was about to come in. He called her name but she ignored him and avoided the lift in favor of the stairs so anxious she was to get out and to Liam.

* * *

The man in question was sitting at his desk in Spencer Publications with a look of deep concentration on his face. He had a lot to think about and it was far from work related.

Earlier that day, he had received a strange mail. He had thought that it was work as usual and he almost dismissed it. But then he had opened it and was startled when it mentioned visitation rights. His first instinct was to make sure that the mail was addressed to him for he was sure that he didn't have any kids (no, it was his father's area to discover himself a father to some unknown kid).

When he found his name boldly written on the envelope, he finally made himself read the content. The shock only intensified when he found out that Steffy was the one to grant him visitation rights for their child. _Their child_! How was that possible? He was sure that he'd have known if Steffy was pregnant with his kid, although he hadn't seen her in months, but that wasn't the question. He knew that Steffy wouldn't have kept this from him, it wasn't her style. And she knew how important it was for him not to have a child growing up fatherless like he had.

No, there must be some kind of explanation for this. It was only when he finished reading that he understood. Steffy had been pregnant when she left and was now eight months long apparently. And she only decided to tell him now, and by way of a visitation rights form, no less!

He had to find a way to contact her, this couldn't go unexplained. But try as he might, he couldn't find any way of getting to Steffy. So, nothing had changed over the past six months. She still refused to let anyone know where she was.

And then, Liam had had the shock of his life when he saw the woman herself on TV and now the whole world knew that she was very much pregnant. He had looked at her and only her. She was magnificent, practically glowing and it had nothing to do with the flashes from the photographs.

Even an hour after the show had ended he still couldn't believe it. He was going to be a father! A father that was going to miss so many things from his child's life! He only then realized the implications behind the mail he had received. Without any thought in mind, he left Spencer Publications with only one destination in mind.


	2. Chapter 2

Back from Paris with a vengeance

**Chapter 2**

Steffy and Thomas stood at the door to their showroom, having said goodbye to their last guests.

"We did good, didn't we?"

"Oh yes! Can you imagine the reactions we got back at Forrester?"

Steffy looked at her brother, assessing him for a moment. "Heart attacks, temper tantrums and nervous breakdown."

The two siblings cracked at the same time. They guffawed for a moment, simply imagining the scenes that must have gone on at FC. The first supposition was applied to their grandfather (not that they could ever wish him any harm, it was only in a metaphorical way); the second was attributed to none other than Hope Logan, the company's princess; and lastly, her brother, Rick Forrester himself must have had several nervous breakdowns at seeing the reactions TPS Creations got from the press.

"Serves them right! They were the ones that dubbed us useless at their company. We did what we had to do and they have only themselves to blame."

"Hey you two!"

They turned around to find their mother coming to them. She had a big smile on her face and her eyes were looking at them with pride.

"Hey mom." Thomas and Steffy couldn't help but smile at their mother in return. It was infectious.

"So, what did you think of the show, mom?"

Taylor gave a sigh of contentment. "What do you think? I was sitting there and saw everything! It was the most beautiful fashion show I have ever seen! And the kids were so great; you can't imagine how many people I heard exclaiming in disbelief at that!" She paused a moment to regard them. "I'm so proud of you two." Now she was almost crying.

Thomas went to hug his mother. "Don't cry, mom. This is a happy moment."

"Yeah, I thought I was the one with the mood swings?"

Taylor couldn't help but laugh through her tears at her daughter's teasing. She hugged Steffy too, at least at best as she could with her swollen belly between them. "It's just, I still can't believe how someone could reject these great ideas of yours. I mean, have you seen those reactions you got?"

Steffy gave her mother a smirk. "Yeah, I was just about to tell Thomas. Now they've seen how efficient our ideas are, especially Thomas'."

"Thanks, you were pretty good yourself, Steffy." Thomas gave her a fond smile. "Anyway, are you ready for the confrontations that are soon coming?"

"Oh, you know me. I never back out from a fight of any kind. I'm going to show them all that no one plays me."

"That's the Steffy we know and love."

"Thanks. Are you two ready to go?"

"Yeah, we're done for today." He could see how exhausted she was. Only a month away from her due date and still she insisted that she could continue working normal days. There was no doubt Thomas was proud of his little sister.

The three of them left the building to go home. Steffy wouldn't have to come in for a while until after she gave birth. That was something Thomas had made her promise she would do. Of course she had to compromise that if she couldn't come to the office, she would work from home. He had to give in; he could never win an argument with his baby sister.

Unlike Steffy, Thomas was a little apprehensive of the things to come. She wouldn't be left alone after the show from earlier. The Logans and Spencers were sure to come after her, looking for answers that didn't concern them in any way. That would only cause her the stress that she had avoided by staying out of town and never telling them where she was. They had all agreed that it was the best thing Steffy could have done for her and her baby. God only knew what would have happened to them if she had come back to LA during the pregnancy.

Well, for now she seemed to take it well. They had learned during the party that a certain Liam Spencer had asked for Steffy in reception but as instructed, he was told off. The security was rather tight and there was a reason for that: no one who wasn't invited was authorized to go in, especially if it was a Spencer or a Logan. It seemed that Liam had learned his lesson but they would still be on their guard.

Thomas knew from experience that the man could never man up to take a decision when it was necessary but like the Logans, he only acted when he considered himself cheated. Even then, he wasn't capable of thinking entirely for himself.

They had been told that Liam was gone but just to make sure he wasn't waiting to corner them outside, Thomas took his mother and sister to the back entrance to leave.

Thomas wasn't about to take any risks with his sister's wellbeing. Every time she found herself in the middle of the Liam-Hope drama she got hurt and not just in an emotional way: first there was the accident in Cabo, then the one in Aspen. With the baby she was carrying, it wasn't an option to go anywhere near those two anytime soon.

With a last, suspicious look around them, Thomas led his mother and sister to his car to drive them home.

* * *

Hope was starting to get worried. Liam wasn't at work and he wasn't answering his mobile nor his phone home. Where could he be? She sure hoped he wasn't with Steffy because that would be the end of them. She wouldn't let it happen of course but you never know what kind of tricks Steffy was about to set against them.

Sitting comfortably on Liam's desk chair and her gaze lost in the view outside, Hope tried to think on the potential places he could be. She had no idea, really. The only places he spent time besides home and work were wherever she was or Forrester's Creations and even then it was always to see her. She gave an angry sigh when she couldn't find any reason for her man not to be at work.

It was when she dropped her head in her hands in frustration that Hope notice strange papers on the desk that caught her attention. It wasn't like they were hidden. It was the opposite in fact: it was as if Liam had dropped them haphazardly on his desk and he had been in a hurry to get out.

As soon as her eyes landed on the first words of the top paper, Hope's breath hitched. She knew it! Steffy was up to no good and she just knew it! The more she read, the more her anger grew. If Steffy thought she could once again steal Liam from her using this bastard she was carrying, then she had another thing coming.

With a huff, Hope took the papers and made a hasty retreat to the door. She had some important matters to discuss with her husband to be.

* * *

Liam made his way to the entrance of his house, a defeated expression on his face. He had tried everything he could to get into TPS' building to talk to Steffy without any success. Even telling the security guard that he was her ex-husband and that she would want to talk to him hadn't fazed the man. And there was a reason for that. Apparently he knew perfectly well who he was and had been given the express instruction not to let him get in.

It was with a dejected face that he had made his way out of the building and to his car but that didn't mean he had given up on seeing Steffy. She would have had to get out sooner or later so, he had waited patiently on the other side of the road, facing the building. He didn't know how she had done it but Liam had spent hours waiting and perusing the entrance each time someone came out but not once had he seen Steffy or Thomas leave the place.

After the security guard had left and the building had turned dark, he'd had to face the obvious: somehow, Sreffy had managed to leave the building without him noticing. Although, Liam was sure that she hadn't left by the front door otherwise he would have noticed her. No, there must have been another way out of there, something he hadn't thought of. Maybe he'd have much luck the next day early in the morning.

Lost in his thoughts, Liam entered his house and mechanically put his things away. He went to the kitchen area, intent on making himself a drink, and a strong one at that.

All this time, he was unaware of the guest following him with scrutinizing eyes. "Liam?"

Jerking around in surprise, Liam dropped his glass on the ground after the gulp he had taken. He was thankful that he had had time to swallow it by the time his guest made herself known, otherwise he'd have drowned on the liquor.

"Hope. What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to talk to you so, I went to your office but you weren't there." While she talked, Hope had risen from her seat on the couch and walked slowly to him. "However, I did find this."

Liam had followed her with his eyes and when he saw the papers in her hand, he stilled on the spot. He hoped what she had in her hand wasn't what he thought it was, so he simply stared at Hope, confusion and dread in his eyes.

Hope practically put the papers in his face. "Liam, what is this?"

He took the papers from her and looked at them. He couldn't believe it. After confirming that yes, it was the papers Steffy had sent him, Liam's eyes returned their focus to Hope.

"Where did you get this?"

Hope's breath hitched at the look he had sent her way but that faded quickly to be replaced by disbelief when she heard the stupid question. "That's all you're going to say, really?"

It was Liam's turn to look surprised. "What else do you want me to say? You went through my stuff and read something personal and that does not concern you!"

"It does not concern me? Liam, I am your fiancée! Your ex-wife comes back in town, clearly ready to pop up and she's claiming that you are the father of her child and you say it doesn't concern me?!"

"That's not what I meant and you know it. It's just something that I didn't even have time to process and now you're asking for answers that I don't have!"

Hope's face softened. "Right, have you talked to Steffy then? I guess that's what you were doing when I didn't find you in your office."

He shook his head. "No, I went to her workplace but they wouldn't let me in. They said it was the order they were given."

That was a big surprise for Hope. She was sure that Steffy would have jumped at the attention Liam was giving her. Although, why she waited until now was anyone's guess. "So, Steffy didn't want to talk to you?"

Liam slumped on the sofa and shook his head in the negative with a sigh. "At least not today. I'm going back tomorrow and this time, I won't give her any choice."

"You know, I don't think that the kid is actually yours, otherwise Steffy would have come back earlier, as soon as she learned about it. I'm sure that's why she doesn't want to talk to you."

Liam's eyes, which had been shut a moment before shot open in shock. He couldn't believe his ears. "That's not who Steffy is and I'm sure if she says the baby is mine, then it is!"

His fervent declaration and conviction in it took Hope aback. "What are you talking about Liam? That's exactly who she is! Or have you forgotten what she's done to us over and over again? She manipulated and tricked us every chance she got and now she's doing it again!"

Liam sighed at the comeback. "Steffy has changed since then, Hope and if she didn't tell me before that she was pregnant with my child, there must be a reason. I just need to know what it was."

"Liam, open your eyes! This is Steffy we're talking about. Don't you see that her plan is already working? All you can think about is her!"

"Well of course I'm thinking about her, I just learned that she's expecting my baby! She will soon give birth and I know nothing about how the pregnancy has gone on until now!" He once again fell onto the sofa in frustration. "To top it all of it seems that she doesn't want anything to do with me if those papers are anything to go by."

"What about us and our wedding?"

"Well, you were the one that wanted to postpone the preparations to concentrate on your line so, there really isn't any difference."

Hope's eyes opened in shock. "You actually want to postpone the wedding, because I won't let her interfere in my life again?! She's done enough already and I'm telling you, this wedding is going to happen!"

"Hope, I'm not postponing anything, we haven't even set a date yet! You just concentrate on your HFTF line as you planed and I'll get things in order with Steffy in the meantime."

"Ok. Then before you sign anything, ask her for a paternity test!"

"You know what? We'll talk about this again another time, after I talk to Steffy."

Hope wasn't about to let it go. "Liam, you can't let Steffy get you trapped into this. Promise me you'll ask her for the test?"

"Ok, I promise. Now, I think you should go back and finish getting your line ready."

Hope sighed, defeated. "Alright, I'll see you later." With those last words, she gave him a kiss and then turned to make her way out.

Liam looked after her retreating back, once again going to his original problem. He had to think of a way to get Steffy to talk to him and he had no idea on how to get about it.

He saw the papers on the table and went to read them again. He really didn't know how to react to this. To be honest, it wasn't how he had imagined learning about his impending fatherhood, nor the woman he had expected it to be with. Sure they had talked about the future and having children some day but not this soon.

He really was in big trouble now. How was he going to resolve this? Just when he and Hope were planning another wedding, this is what happened. Once again he was going to have to make a choice and this one would be harder than anything before. If the baby really was his, and he had no doubt about that, then he'd have to make things very clear with Steffy. He wasn't about to let any child of his grow up fatherless.

* * *

After her talk with Liam, Hope went back to FC to get some more work done. She was now being comforted by her mother, having told her everything that had happened earlier with her fiancé.

"So, Steffy is claiming that the baby she's carrying is Liam's. Are you guys sure she really is pregnant and not just putting on a publicity stunt?"

"I don't know mom, but if she really is pregnant I know for sure that baby isn't Liam's. There is just no way it could be!"

Brooke looked at her daughter sympathetically. She could understand the reason for her distress. "Honey, you have to calm down. I'm sure this is all going to work out in the end. Steffy won't be able to hide the truth for long."

"Yeah but she's already started, mom. She's actually going to use this child of hers to get Liam to get back with her with those visitation papers of hers."

"Did you see what she was granting him in those papers?"

"No, I was too shocked and in a hurry to find Liam before Steffy and didn't have the heart to read them. Anyway, I can guess what she's asking him. I'm sure she's blackmailing him in some way."

"Right. She knows Liam will do the honorable thing and raise his child and she'll be using that to her advantage."

"Exactly, but I'm not going to let her. I told Liam to ask for a paternity test. After what happened with Amber, it's only natural not to let him get trapped again."

"How did he react to that theory?"

Hope gave a shrug. "Not really well. According to him, Steffy's not that kind of person."

"Well she knows that he always sees the good in a person and she's counting on that."

"Yeah, but we were so close this time! I thought with her gone, Liam and I would be happy again. Should have known that the moment she came back she'd do something like this. It was too good to last."

"Don't lose hope honey. We won't let Steffy get away with this. You have a big day tomorrow so don't let her ruin it for you."

Hope got a faraway look. "This relaunch of HFTF was supposed to be the biggest event in town but after Steffy's and Thomas' stunt today, I'm not sure we'll get the reaction we'd have had without them."

"Oh I'm sure we'll be far more successful than that sorry excuse of a company they created. Honestly, they'll get nowhere with it. We have Eric and Caroline working with us so, we have nothing to worry about."

"You're right of course. I shouldn't let her get into me but I can't help it. She's always up to some scheming and you never know what would be next."

Seeing the dejected look on her daughter's face, Brooke vowed to herself that she would do everything in her power to help her and that meant getting some answers from the woman herself. She didn't care what Liam said, her daughter's future was at stake and she wasn't going to sit back and let Steffy get her nose in her business.

* * *

Bill Spencer was driving his way to his son's house. Like everyone in town and probably the whole world, he had seen TPS start out in the world of fashion with flying colors. Well, he had seen it with a little delay but all the same, they were the talk of the city.

Bill had always known that Steffy was brilliant, since day one in fact, and that she had a great potential but what she and her brother had just done blew his mind. If he was still running Spencer Publications, he'd have given them all the pages they wanted in any of his magazines without any hesitation. But knowing who was in charge now, he was sure that Katie wouldn't see the potential in the younger Forresters and wouldn't give them the credit they deserved. That'd always been her weakness when doing business: she let personal matters affect her decisions. Bill was sure that Katie was going to give all of the company's magazines attention to her niece's line no matter what the public opinion said.

He was sad that she'd sink the empire he'd spent a life-time building but there was nothing he could do now. Katie wouldn't listen to him anyway and he had more important matters to attend to.

After parking his car in the alley, Bill made his way in his son's house without even bothering to knock. He knew Liam hated it and had asked him several times not to just burst in like that but he couldn't care less.

The son in question jumped from where he had been lounging on the couch at hearing the door being opened and slammed shut. "Dad, don't do that! I almost had a heart attack."

"Sorry, but I'm not really in the mood right now." Looking far from apologetic, Bill let himself fall on the sofa across from his son.

Liam frowned at him. "And you think I am?"

"So, what's going on, have you spoken to Steffy yet? And how come you didn't tell anyone that she was coming back?"

He received an eye roll from his son. "Maybe because I didn't know she was?"

Bill only looked confused. "What do you mean you didn't know? She's about to give birth to your child!"

Liam's eyes shot open at that. "How do you know that?"

"Well, judging by how far along she seems to be, I'd say it's pretty obvious don't you think?" His voice was laced with sarcasm.

"Right." Liam only dropped his head on the back of the couch.

"Well, I'm waiting. How did it go?"

"Nowhere."

"What do you mean nowhere?" Bill was getting fed up with his son's less than forthcoming answers.

"I mean I didn't talk to her. Went to her current workplace but she left the word that I wasn't welcome there."

His father was really confused. Why would Steffy do that? "Why would she not want to see you, that doesn't make any sense? Did she at least tell you about the baby?"

He only received a shrug as a response. "The only thing I received is this."

Bill took the papers he was handed in even greater confusion. He took a look at them. When he read the beginning, he received the shock of his life.

"Visitation rights? What the hell for?!"

Liam's eyes were still lifted to the ceiling and wouldn't make eye contact with his father. "Haven't talked to her yet, remember? Your guess is as good as mine."

"Well, you can't let this happen." When he got no reaction from his son, he turned to him and whacked him on the leg. "Get a hold of yourself and find a way around this. You can't sit in here doing nothing while your child is out there without a family. What did I always tell you? Family is everything so you better act and fast!"

With that said, Bill dropped the papers on the coffee table and made his way out, hoping against hope that his words had made some sort of impact on his son's thick head. Hope was all he could do but it wasn't that much considering how his son could be.

He could never understand why the kid (really, with the way he was acting you could call him a kid) ever hesitated between Hope and Steffy. The answer was obvious for Bill. Hope was so out of Steffy's league.

No, he wasn't going down that path; it would only give him a headache. And some old feelings he couldn't let get in the mix of others.

* * *

As promised, Liam arrived at TPS Creations building early the next morning. The moment he got there, he went straight to the security guard and asked for a meeting with Steffy. He was a bit surprised to be allowed in, in the first place. He had expected a confrontation or something with the man. Well, he wasn't about to complain so he quickly went to the elevator and punched the number he was given.

When he got out of the elevator a few seconds later, he looked left and right for any sign of where to go to find his ex-wife.

"Liam."

The man in question was startled out of his thoughts when he heard his name being called. He turned around and found Thomas looking at him expectantly. It wasn't the person he was hoping to see but he'd do anyway. He was bound to know where he could find Steffy.

"Thomas, hey." Liam was again surprised when he received a less than warm welcome. Although Thomas accepted the handshake he was offered, Liam could sense that his ex-brother in law wasn't all that pleased with him. He could only assume that it was because of the predicament his sister found herself in. He nonetheless went into the office he was invited in and took a seat in front of the other man's desk.

"What can I do for you, Liam?"

"Well, I was hoping you could point out Steffy's office to me. I need to talk to her."

"I guessed as much. But you can't see her."

"What do you mean I can't see her? Is she alright?"

"Steffy is perfectly fine. She's at home, resting."

"Well, then you can just give me her new address and I'll see her there."

Thomas only shook his head. "No, you don't understand, Liam. Steffy doesn't want to see you. That will only happen once the baby is here."

Liam seemed surprised. "So, you know then?"

"Of course I know! My sister doesn't hide anything from me." Thomas scoffed. "We knew you'd come here looking for her but you'll have to deal with me. Steffy is in no condition to do that at the moment."

"So, you can tell me what's going on here? Why did she wait so long to tell me about the baby and only by sending me those papers?"

"That's simple, really. You seemed quite busy once Steffy left the house so, she decided to deal with this on her own. Well, not really on her own seeing as she has her family supporting her."

"And what about me? I am the father, I had a say in all this!"

"Didn't you read those papers? You'll be able to see the baby anytime you want and be a part of its life whenever you want once it's born, only that'll be all you'll be doing: be a father to your child, nothing more."

"Really, is that how Steffy sees the baby's life? She wants me to be a come and go father, is that it?"

"Well, what did you expect?" Thomas didn't give him a chance to get any word in. "Tell me, aren't you supposed to get married in the days to come?"

"I don't see what that's got to do with anything?"

His defensive tone didn't go unnoticed. "And how do you intend to be a full time father while being married to another woman?" Thomas could see that he had him there.

"Well, that's none of your business! And anyway, it's for me and Steffy to work out and no one else."

Thomas looked at him, bemused. "And what does your fiancée think about that?"

Guilt flickered in his eyes before he tried to hide it. "Again, that's none of your business. It's Steffy I need to talk about this with."

"Well, like I told you, that's not going to happen."

"Steffy can't drop this bomb and expect me to just sit back and wait for things to happen!"

"And yet, you're going to do just that. Don't blame this on Steffy, you brought it on yourself without any help."

"What are you talking about? She's the one that disappeared for months without saying anything!"

Thomas stood up abruptly from his seat. "And tell me, what was she supposed to do when she went to announce to her boyfriend that she was pregnant, only to find him fouling around on their bed before she even made it out of town?"

That made Liam stop in his tracks. "What?"

"That's right. Steffy couldn't leave fast enough for you two, could she? You jumped right into bed with Hope, a bed you shared with my sister, the moment she left the house."

Liam was quick to defend himself. "Nothing happened with Hope!"

"Really? And how long did it take you to jump right back into a relationship with her after Steffy left? Not long enough if you ask me. Now you want to marry Hope and the moment Steffy comes back you run to see her?"

"Of course I want to see her. She's carrying my child! Or at least that's what she's claiming."

What happened next was a blur for Liam. One moment he was talking and then he found himself staring at the ceiling of Thomas' office. He took himself off the ground and lifted his hand to feel for his lip only to find it bleeding. He looked from his bloody hand to Thomas' face. He had never seen the man so angry before.

"Say something like that about my sister again and you'll get worse than a punch to the face." Thomas softly rubbed at his hand. He once again went behind his desk and sat down. "I know my sister and she wouldn't lie about something like this. But if you don't want to take responsibility for your actions, there's one simple solution for that." With that said, he took another stack of papers and tossed it to Liam.

Liam took the papers and made a move to read them. However, he didn't go too far before indignation and outrage took over his whole being. "You want me to give up my rights as a father? Have you completely lost your mind?" The papers were thrown back at Thomas. "You can forget it!"

"Why? You're the one that said you aren't sure the baby is even yours so, what's stopping you from doing it?"

"That just came out, I didn't even mean it!"

"Well, you should avoid saying things you don't believe. Or, how about actually speaking for yourself instead of repeating that garbage your girlfriend and her family spout every second about Steffy?"

"Hope didn't say anything and I can speak for myself!"

"Right. You keep telling yourself that." Thomas took his place behind his desk. "In any case, Steffy took the right decision not to come back here after Paris. God knows what happens every time she gets caught up in those games you and Hope always play when nothing goes your way. What she needed was peace and a world free of any stress, something she wouldn't have gotten around you lot. If she'd been back, I'm not sure that pregnancy would have gotten to the point it is now." He helped himself to a glass of water. "So, I'll tell you again, leave Steffy alone. If you have any question about your visitation rights, either call me or her lawyer but know that seeing Steffy is out of the question. And don't think you can take this to a judge, we have a strong case. I'll call you the moment she is in labor so you can be there for the birth of the baby but that will be all. Steffy still has a month to go before giving birth so, I suggest you take that time to think about what you're going to do."

Liam recognized a dismissal when he heard one so he had no other choice than to take his leave. His head was pounding after the punch he received and he couldn't think clearly. It seemed that all he could do now was wait and see how things were going to play out. He didn't have any choice, really as Thomas made insisted. Steffy had all the cards in her hands now.


End file.
